Last month, I spent a Saturday afternoon doing something most people would call boring: auditing local business websites. I grabbed my laptop, parked myself at the Silver Center, and started clicking through websites of businesses I pass every day driving down Court Street.
Why would I torture myself this way? Because I've been helping Texas Hill Country businesses improve their online presence, and I was curious — are the problems I see with my clients happening everywhere else too?
Turns out, they are. And then some.
I looked at ten local businesses: a restaurant, two contractors, a salon, a pest control company, a landscaper, an auto shop, a medical practice, a retail store, and a venue. I won't name names because that's not the point. These are good businesses run by hardworking people. But their websites? Well, let's just say there's room for improvement.
Here's what I checked for each one:
- How the website looked on my phone
- Their Google Business Profile
- How fast the site loaded
- Whether their contact info matched across the web
- Basic SEO signals (can Google actually find them?)
- Security stuff (SSL certificates)
- Overall user experience
What I found wasn't surprising, but it was eye-opening. These aren't complicated, expensive problems. They're simple fixes that could make a huge difference in how customers find and connect with these businesses.
The Mobile Disaster (7 out of 10 sites)
Here's the thing that floored me: more than half these websites looked terrible on my phone. And I mean terrible. Text you had to pinch and zoom to read. Buttons you couldn't tap without accidentally hitting three other things. Photos that took forever to load or didn't show up at all.
One contractor's site had their phone number split across two lines, so tapping it didn't call them. A restaurant's menu was basically unreadable unless you held your phone sideways and squinted. The auto shop's "Contact Us" button was hidden behind their logo on mobile.
This isn't 2010 anymore. More than 60% of searches happen on phones. If your website doesn't work on mobile, you're literally turning away customers who are ready to call you right now.
Google Business Profile Neglect (8 out of 10 had issues)
Almost every business I looked at had a Google Business Profile, but most were treating it like a "set it and forget it" afterthought.
Three businesses had photos from 2019 or older. One still had their old address from before they moved locations two years ago. Five hadn't responded to a single customer review — not even the good ones. Two were missing basic info like business hours or phone numbers.
Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing people see when they search for you. It shows up in Maps, in search results, and on your phone when someone's driving by your business. Treat it like your digital storefront, because that's exactly what it is.
Website Speed That Tests Patience (6 out of 10 too slow)
I used my phone's stopwatch to time how long each site took to fully load. The average was eight seconds. Eight! That's long enough to make a sandwich.
Three sites took more than twelve seconds. One took so long I thought my internet was broken and tried to refresh the page.
Here's the reality: if your website takes more than three seconds to load, half your visitors will give up and go somewhere else. When someone's searching for "Seguin plumber emergency" at 10 PM with water all over their bathroom floor, they're not going to wait around for your slideshow of stock photos to slowly fade in.
The Name, Address, Phone Number Mess (5 out of 10 inconsistent)
This one's sneaky because most business owners don't realize it's a problem. I found five businesses whose contact information didn't match across their website, Google listing, and other online directories.
One had their old address on their website but the new address on Google. Another had two different phone numbers listed — one went to their cell phone, the other to a landline that just rang and rang. A landscaper had their business name spelled three different ways across different platforms.
Google notices this stuff. When your business information is inconsistent, search engines get confused about whether you're actually the same business. It hurts your search rankings and makes it harder for customers to find and contact you.
The Mystery of Missing Calls to Action (9 out of 10)
This was the most frustrating one. I'd land on a website, see that they offered services I needed, and then... nothing. No clear next step. No "Call Now" button. No "Get a Quote" form. Just a bunch of text and maybe a generic "Contact Us" link buried in the footer.
One contractor had beautiful photos of their work, great testimonials, and detailed service descriptions. But I had to dig through three pages to find their phone number. A restaurant showed mouth-watering food photos but made me hunt for their hours and location.
If someone lands on your website and wants to hire you, make it stupid simple for them to take the next step. Don't make them work for it.
Security Red Flags (4 out of 10 no SSL)
Four businesses were still running websites without SSL certificates. You know how some sites show a little lock icon in your browser, and others show "Not Secure"? That's SSL.
Beyond the security implications (which are real), Google actively penalizes sites without SSL in search rankings. Plus, many browsers now show scary warning messages when people try to visit non-secure sites. Not exactly confidence-inspiring when you're trying to win new customers.
Local SEO Ghost Mode (8 out of 10)
Here's something that blew my mind: I searched Google for "[business type] Seguin Texas" and most of these businesses didn't show up in the first few pages of results. Not because they were bad businesses, but because their websites gave Google zero clues about where they were located or what areas they served.
Eight businesses never mentioned Seguin on their website. Not once. One contractor's site talked about serving "the local area" but never specified what that meant. A salon mentioned they were in "Central Texas" — not exactly helpful when someone's searching for services in Seguin specifically.
Google isn't psychic. If you don't tell it you're in Seguin and you serve Seguin customers, it won't connect you with people searching for Seguin businesses.
The Time Warp Problem (6 out of 10 outdated)
Six businesses had websites that felt like time capsules. Copyright dates from 2019. Team photos with people who hadn't worked there in years. Service descriptions for things they no longer offered. News sections with the latest post from 2021.
One restaurant still had their COVID-19 takeout-only notice prominently displayed. Another had a big banner about their "Grand Opening" from three years ago.
Fresh content doesn't have to be complicated. Even updating your copyright date and removing outdated information makes your business look current and professional.
What Some Businesses Got Right
Before you think I'm just here to complain, let me share what impressed me. Two businesses stood out for doing things right.
One landscaper had a simple, clean website that loaded fast, looked great on mobile, and had a prominent "Free Estimate" button on every page. Their Google Business Profile was updated regularly with photos of recent projects, and they responded to every review — positive and negative — professionally.
A medical practice had clear information about their services, easy online appointment booking, and consistent contact information everywhere. Their website mentioned Seguin, New Braunfels, and surrounding areas throughout their content, making it obvious to Google who they served.
Both businesses showed up on the first page when I searched for their services in Seguin. Coincidence? I think not.
Three Quick Fixes You Can Do Today
Here's the good news: you don't need to hire someone or spend thousands of dollars to fix the biggest issues I found. Here are three things any business owner can tackle this afternoon:
1. Test Your Site on Your Phone Right Now
Pull out your phone and visit your own website. Can you easily read everything? Are buttons big enough to tap? Does your phone number automatically dial when tapped? If not, contact whoever built your site and ask them to fix the mobile experience. This is non-negotiable in 2026.
2. Update Your Google Business Profile
Log into Google Business (or create one if you somehow don't have it). Add recent photos of your work, products, or team. Make sure your hours, phone number, and address are correct. Respond to your reviews — yes, all of them. Set aside 30 minutes to make your profile look professional and current.
3. Add "Seguin" to Your Website
If you serve Seguin customers, say so on your website. Add a simple sentence like "Proudly serving Seguin and the surrounding Hill Country area" to your homepage. Create a page about the areas you serve. Mention local landmarks like Starcke Park or the Guadalupe River where relevant. Help Google understand you're a local business.
The Bottom Line
Your website doesn't need a complete overhaul. It needs attention to the basics. The businesses I audited weren't failing because they lacked flashy designs or expensive features. They were struggling because they overlooked simple fundamentals that help customers find them, trust them, and contact them.
Every day you wait to fix these issues is another day your competitors are ahead of you in search results. It's another day potential customers bounce off your site and call someone else instead.
The businesses that thrive in Seguin over the next few years won't necessarily be the ones with the biggest budgets. They'll be the ones who pay attention to the details that actually matter to customers.
Want to know what issues your business might have? I'd be happy to take a look and give you an honest assessment. No sales pitch, just straight feedback from someone who's seen what works and what doesn't in our local market.
You can reach me through RJ Digital — and yes, I made sure our site works great on mobile first.
Ryan Johnson is a web designer and digital marketing consultant helping Hill Country businesses grow their online presence.